I know accounting gets the sterotype that it’s the fallback major due to its high job security but I’m approaching my senior year and I basically have only my major-specific classes left. I’ve been starting to be hesitant of this major because it just doesn’t feel like its my passion. Like everyone says you should major in what your passionate about, that way you will love going to work everday. And I don’t hate accounting, it’s much more enjoyable than most other classes, but I dont foresee myself ever saying i love going to work.
When I initially chose accounting, I did it because I loved the competitiveness and the nature of business and I kinda always had an interest with law and math, but oddily enough, not with sciences. On top of that, I knew the school I was going to didn’t really have a prestigious name so finance and economics would have terrible job security and with a CPA it would be much easier to transfer to a finance/economics job if I needed to.
I just can’t imagine any field where I’m in love with going to work.
I never felt “passionate” about accounting, but I knew I needed to get a job after college and I wanted to have a stable and secure career. In the end, (unless you are a professional athlete) they call it “work” not “play” and at least for me an element of practicality was a prudent course.
Some other random comments …The practice of accounting does involve working with people, especially in public accounting, and that is an attribute I enjoyed that you never see in college coursework. In addition, accounting can lead to other paths – I eventually moved from audit into the consulting arm of my CPA firm and from there a client that I worked with on an audit pulled me into municipal bond finance.
In the end, only you can decide if accounting or finance or economics or anything else is the right path for you.
In some sense, work will always be work. You’ve made the right decisions by choosing a major that was more enjoyable than other subjects were for you. There are so many different opportunities once you start working. You will find that a similar job – like accounting – can be vastly different depending on which company you are working for, in which industry, and which location, etc. You should be able find a work environment you love while using your skills and training in accounting, or doing something that uses financial skills, such as any management position that requires handling a budget.
Two people I know who majored in accounting are now CFO’s of large international companies. One started out in an auditing position, where she traveled to different countries in Europe auditing the records of various businesses. Another one wasn’t sure about accounting, went on to get a law degree, and then decided he liked accounting better after all. Both have had big success, with different paths. Another person I know who studied finance is a finance director for an international nonprofit organization that does work that he believes in, and sometimes he gets to travel overseas.
Think about what type of workplace or industry you want to work in, and seek out a position that uses your skills there. You will have a vastly different experience as an accountant if you work for a large accounting firm, or if you work in-house for a software company, or architecture firm, or food business, or international nonprofit, etc. You might also discover that you prefer working for a small company, or in a government position, or even starting your own business. Open your eyes to the many possibilities so that you can imagine a field – using your accounting skills – where you do love going to work.
Are you analytical? Love order? Like to check things off a list? Enjoy learning new things? Have a good grasp of efficient vs inefficient ways to get things done? If so, there is a place for you in the wide number of positions that will utilize your accounting skills.
There are a lot of job options available with an accounting degree (even without a CPA certificate). Do you have work experience through co-ops, internships, etc.? Class time rarely provides anyone a good idea about what it will be like to work in any given field.
One great thing about accounting in terms of career security is that if you work for a Big 4 accounting firm, you stand a very good chance of ending up working for a client if you decide to leave the accounting firm. Those firms are very good at placing formers with clients (to help keep them clients).
@saillakeerie I would LOVE to work for a big 4 accounting firm, but in reality, I go to a state school and my GPA is a 3.4, I mean I’ve done mock interviews and had my resume analyzed by the career services at my school, but I’ve been getting no responses to any of the internships or co-ops i’ve applied for. I’m sure just due to logistics, my resume is disqualified with my gpa/school name combination alone. I have applied to two of the big 4 firms internships though and will continue to until I graduate and get a job.
But to answer your original question, I have no work experience with co-ops or internships. I currently go to school full-time and work a full-time job (doing payroll packaging) and a part-time job tutoring.